Cauliflower, Red Onion, and Chestnut Tart

This tart recipe comes from Martha Stewarts Magazine; it’s time consuming but, very tasty! I used a standard 9 inch round tart pan but, I think it looks so much nicer in the rectangle pan. I must remember to put that on my Christmas list! 🙂

Cauliflower, Red Onion, and Chestnut Tart

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Yield Makes 2 rectangles or round (enough for two 4-by-13-inch tarts)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup ground toasted, skinned hazelnuts

Salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

Pulse flour, hazelnuts, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Drizzle 1/4 cup ice water evenly over mixture, and pulse until it just begins to hold together (dough should not be wet or sticky). If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse.

Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before rolling.

Cook’s Note

Make ahead: Dough can be refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to 3 months. Let chilled dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes and frozen dough thaw before using.

Ingredients

4 ounces red pearl onions 1

small head cauliflower, separated into florets

Coarse salt

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (2 ounces)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/3 cup coarsely chopped chestnut for the Béchamel

Directions

Make the tart: Roll out pastry dough to a 6-by-16-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 4-by-13-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim edges flush with top. Prick bottom of tart all over with a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line crust with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is set and edges are just starting to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and remove pie weights and parchment. Bake until bottom of tart shell is pale gold, about 10 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook onions for 2 minutes. Transfer to ice-water bath. Drain. Peel onions, and cut each in half. Meanwhile, steam cauliflower in a basket insert set over a pan of simmering water until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring, until browned, about 12 minutes.

Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking, until mixture is thick and just starts to boil. Add 1/4 cup blue cheese, the thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt, and whisk until cheese melts. Stir in cauliflower, half the onions, and half the chestnuts.

Spread cauliflower mixture onto tart shell. Scatter remaining onions and chestnuts over filling, and dot top with remaining 1/4 cup blue cheese. Bake tart on a baking sheet until filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

2 thoughts on “Cauliflower, Red Onion, and Chestnut Tart”

I am in love with this tart! Looks so delicious! I am your newest fan and follower!

I just received your gorgeous almond biscotti in the beautiful packaging, and I almost fell over! They taste exactly like my Grandmother Frances’ biscotti that she used to ship me for my birthday and Christmas. She is 90 years old now and stopped baking them two years ago, bless her sweet heart. So you can only imagine my face when I saw them and tasted them, tears rolling down my face, they taste just like Grandma’s! I have been carrying around her recipe for over 40 years but have never made them because Grandma said they were too much work, and that she would make them for me, and I should make something else….

I’m so happy you loved your Biscotti! That was such a nice comment, you brought tears to my eyes!:)I love the story of your Grandmother, Frances. This recipes actually comes from an Italian Grandmother, she’s my sister’s Mother-in-Law. She is from Lucca, Italy and still sounds like she left yesterday, even though, she’s in her 8o’s now! I will tell her about your Grandmother giving you the recipe, she will love that! I have tried to subscribe to your blog…will try again! Love that your a California Girl Too!
Thanks again for the wonderful comment, I really appreciate it.
Happy Holidays,
~Adrienne